Sehwag opts to play the cheerleader

On the day he was axed from the India team -- from the second format in quick succession, Virender Sehwag chose to turn up at the Toyota University Cricket Championships, cheering unheralded T20 players at the capital's Bhopal ground. Reserved and almost minimalist during his presence, Sehwag sat quietly on a verandah under below the pavilion named after him, sharing an occasional joke with players and cheering them as hosts Jamia Millia Islamia, the where he graduated, trounced Jiwaji, Gwalior to enter the final.

Former skipper Kapil Dev criticised the decision to drop the batsman. “I’m deeply hurt to see him out. He is a great cricketer and has given a new direction to Indian cricket. He sh-ould take this as a challenge and come back with a bang. He has done it before. I want to see him back.”